


Jack’s Holiday

by Colonel_Edd



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, alien holiday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 13:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20489966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colonel_Edd/pseuds/Colonel_Edd
Summary: Jack wants to open up about his past and wonders if Ianto would celebrate a holiday with him that won’t exist for another couple of centuries. He should have know he only needed to ask.





	Jack’s Holiday

Home was a tricky thing, Jack often wasn’t sure where his home was. Sure, technically he lived in the hub but he wouldn’t call the bunk under his office his home. It was more complicated than that, home wasn’t just where you slept at the end of the day, it was a safe space, a place you could be authentically yourself without fear of judgment or retribution. Home to Jack was a place full of love and acceptance, a place that wasn’t just accommodation. 

It was somewhere you’re loved, respected, and cared for. Jack could still remember his first home, the little wooden cabin in the Boeshane peninsula. From the outside it was just a shack, surrounded by sand and sea but on the inside it was more than wood and clay. It was a place where his memories lie, home was where Gray chased him around the beach, where their mother pressed soft kisses to their scrapes and bruises and where their father taught them how to scavenge. Without memories, most people wouldn’t be who they are today and Jack had enough memories to fill a small towns worth of people.

But he couldn’t say that was his home anymore, he left a long time ago and had found a lot since then. Right now he would be forced to admit he’d maybe found a new home, a new place to make precious memories if given the chance.

It was nothing fancy, it wasn’t a castle or a palace but it was still a far cry from a wooden shack by the sea. A small box flat with a terrible view and a god awful kitchen but it housed the most spectacular man. A man who had the patience of a saint and a mischievous streak a mile wide even if he kept it incredibly well hidden.

For a while he’d thought of the Tardis as his home, but that had been a long time ago. Right now it was with Ianto Jones and Jack wouldn’t change it for anything.

Ianto reminded him what it was like to be young, he shared freely with him and never failed to surprise him with odd little things he’s missed about humanity along the way. It was the little things that he got swept up in with childlike innocence and the way Ianto willingly shared with him what he’d missed out on that made such a huge difference. Nothing was too childish or bizarre, they’d built snowmen, made blanket forts, played clapping games and swapped honestly ridiculous nursery rhymes. Jack had loved every second of it.

Maybe it was time he got round to sharing as well.

The rift was supposed to be quiet for a while if Toshiko’s program was to be trusted so Jack decided to take a leap of faith and trust in Ianto to catch him on the other side, “I was thinking,” he broached the subject gently as Ianto drove them home, “I mean, well, I wanted to talk to you about something”

“Is everything alright?” Ianto shot him a concerned glance from behind the wheel, immediately on edge as Jack fidgeted next to him, it wasn’t often the other man was got nervous and when he did it was rarely good news

Seeing Ianto brace himself, Jack pushed down a laugh, he couldn’t exactly blame the other man after all, his surprises tended to be rather explosive, “Everything’s fine,” he reassured him, “I was just thinking you might want to know a little about my past”

Ianto didn’t jump on the chance though, if anything he seemed further concerned, “You don’t have to,” he knew Jack was private and didn’t want him to think he had to if he wasn’t comfortable with it, “I know you like to live in the moment” How many times had Jack told him the past didn’t matter? That he was proud of the man he was today and not the man he used to be?

“I want to” this is exactly why Ianto deserved to know, he never pushed, he never pried, “I’m sure you know, or have at least assumed at this point, that where I’m from has different calendrical methods”

He had assumed but it was nice to know that Jack constantly forgetting how many days were in each month was for a valid reason, “Yes”

“Well,” Jack flicked open his wrist strap as Ianto pulled in to park, “I’ve been able to keep track with this and I thought I could share a holiday that’s coming up with you” there, he’d done it, he’d jumped and now it was up to Ianto to catch him

He didn’t disappoint, “Really?” His eyes lit up with interest and joy at the idea, before a hint of scepticism creeped in, “This isn’t some sort of alien fertility holiday is it?”

Jack snorted, cocking his head to one side, “No, it’s not a fertility holiday, though that’s not a bad idea” Ianto was too cute sometimes, “You don’t really have a word for it in English” They walked up to Ianto’s flat together as they continued their conversation, “It’s a festival of sorts, spanning over three days. We celebrated Amici”

“Amici” Ianto repeated to himself as he unlocked the door, testing the word on his tongue, “Is that… a god?” Jack had never struck him as a religious man but stronger things had happened

“Not a god, no” Jack couldn’t deny hearing Ianto wrap his gorgeous vowels around the word was anything but sinful, “Amici means… community, family,” he tried to explain, “That feeling in your chest when you see a cute baby or a puppy”

Taking Jack’s coat, Ianto tried not to show how deeply pleased he was that Jack was sharing this with him. He’d never excepted this but he wasn’t going to look such a rare gift horse in the mouth, “I see, and it lasts three days?” Jack followed him through to the living room, all but sitting in his lap as they settled on the sofa together

“Yes, the first day is the day of fasting” Jack wiggled a bit to make himself more comfortable on Ianto’s thighs, “We celebrate honesty and love, it’s a time of reflection and family and, naturally, we don’t eat”

“Wow” Ianto wasn’t sure what else to say but thankfully he didn’t have to as Jack settled down to talk enough for the both of them

“It’s sort of like Valentine’s Day just without the flowers and chocolates” He explained as Ianto ran a hand up and down his back, “It’s seen as good luck for people to get married or express their feelings to one another”

“You still have marriage in the future?” Ianto didn’t mean to interrupt but he’d always assumed that Jack’s 21st century labels rants extended to marriage as well, looks like he was wrong

“Not what you’re thinking of” Jack sighed wistfully, “It’s more of a hand fastening ceremony, we still have vows and you exchange gifts instead of rings but it’s not limited to a man and a woman, or to two people for that matter, the more the merrier y’know? Monogamy didn’t completely die out,” he told him, “it was just a lot less common” Jack shook his head, getting them back on track, “The second day was the day of feasting, we’d have a huge meal that everyone in the village brought something to, we’d have games and drinking. Competitions and tournaments,” Ianto watched as Jack’s eyes glazed over, obviously lost in his fond memories, “One year, I could only have been six or seven, I entered the marathon. We had to run from one side of the dune to the other and I swear I don’t think ever ever run so desperately in my life”

“Trying to impress someone were you?” Ianto teased him gently, surprised beyond belief when Jack actually blushed. He’d never seen him do that before, it was only disconcerting 

“Narmeer Potine, he was three years older with hair so long it reached the small of his back even when it was tied up” Jack sighed fondly, a sheepish little smile on his face, “Sorry, you don’t want to hear about-”

“I do!” Ianto cleared His throat, trying not to come off so desperate the next time he opened his mouth, “I do, it’s sweet”

Jack raised an eyebrow but carried on regardless, “He felt sorry for me when I crossed the finish line, fourth from last and gave me a kiss on the cheek” he paused for the cooing Ianto was obviously trying to suppress, he should have seen this coming to be honest, he was kind of adorable as a child, “I, of course, was teased relentlessly but it didn’t matter” he reached up to touch his cheek, the ghost of a kiss from long ago making it tingle, “As I got older I moved on from the physical contests to the drinking ones, a few years there are a bit of a blur to be honest” he chuckled

“And what about the third day?” Ianto asked once Jack had stopped laughing at himself

“A celebration of community, everyone would come together around a huge bonfire and we’d sing hymns” Jack reached out to play with Ianto’s hair where it was getting a bit long, curling slightly at the ends, “Everyone would come with one item from their home and trade it with someone else. A blanket for a cup or a net for a pair of boots”

Ianto thought it was wonderful, “It sounds amazing” he couldn’t wait to celebrate with him, “I’m not sure where we can make a bonfire and you know I can’t sing for shit but I’m sure we’ll figure something out”

“So you’ll celebrate with me?” Jack asked hopefully

Like he even needed to ask, “Of course, I’d love to” Ianto kissed him and Jack knew he’d made the right call. He couldn’t wait to celebrate with him. 

He was finally home again.


End file.
